Overview
An MSC pre-assessment and workplan were prepared for the Scottish monkfish fishery, on behalf of Seafish, in 2019. The pre-assessment was prepared by the CAB Control Union, and the workplan by the consultants MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. The intention was to use these documents to start a FIP for the fishery, but due to COVID-19, the project had to be postponed.
The Units of assessment include UoA 1 which is demersal trawl and UoA 2 which is gillnet.
It is now possible to continue the project, and as such the FIP preparation to date has been reviewed. The pre-assessment as it relates to Principle 2 and most of Principle 3 continues to be relevant. In addition, since monkfish are taken as part of a mixed demersal fishery, this part of the analysis overlaps with other fisheries that are already MSC certified (e.g. SFSAG northern demersal stocks) or in a FIP (e.g. UK North Sea cod and whiting). This means that workplans are already in implementation to address the issues raised in this part of the pre-assessment, both in the context of a FIP workplan and in the context of an MSC Client Action Plan.
Conversely, the review of the pre-assessment in relation to Principle 1, and the parts of Principle 3 linked to Principle 1 (PI 3.2.1 Fishery-specific objectives) suggested that recent progress in relation to the biology of the species and the stock assessment needed to be included, in order to define an appropriate FIP workplan. It was therefore decided to provide a pre-assessment update for Principle 1 and PI 3.2.1, as a basis for scoping and a workplan update.
An MSC pre-assessment and workplan were prepared for the Scottish monkfish fishery, on behalf of Seafish, in 2019. The pre-assessment was prepared by the CAB Control Union, and the workplan by the consultants MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd.
1. Data are available for a robust stock assessment. Target date: Dec. 2023. (PI 1.2.3. Workplan Action 1.)
2. A stock assessment is able to estimate stock status in relation to reference points in a robust way, either for the stocks individually or for the stock complex if appropriate. Target date: Dec. 2026. (PI 1.2.4. Workplan Action 2)
3. A decision rule is in place which is able to rebuild/maintain the stock at a level consistent with MSY, and avoid the PRI with high probability. Target date: Dec. 2026. (PIs 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2.2. Workplan Action 3)
4. The fishery is not impacting the recovery and rebuilding of the North Sea or W. Scotland cod stocks. Target date: Dec. 2024. (PIs 2.1.1., 2.1.2, 2.1.3. Workplan Action 4; see also SFSAG northern demersals Client Action Plan actions 1, 2, 4 and 5.)
5. The fishery can show that bycatch of mackerel and squid is negligible in relation to stock removals, or that the UoA is not having an impact on these stocks. (Target end date: Dec. 2023. PI 2.1.2, 2.1.3. Workplan Action 5.)
6. The trawl fishery is not having an impact on the recovery of common skate and starry ray. Target date: June 2024. (PI 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3. Workplan Action 6. See also SFSAG North Sea cod FIP Workplan Action 5.)
7. The gillnet fishery can provide sufficient data on interactions with ETP species, and put management in place as required, to show that it is not impacting the recovery and rebuilding of any ETP species. Target date: Dec. 2025. (PIs 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3. Workplan Action 7.)
8. The fishery has a partial strategy in place to ensure that impacts on VMEs are at acceptable levels. Target date: Dec. 2024. (PIs 2.4.1, 2.4.2. Workplan Action 8; see also SFSAG northern demersal Client Action Plan Action 3.)
9. The fishery can show that it is compliant with the Landing Obligation (or UK equivalent as applicable). Target date: Dec. 2025. (PI 3.2.3. Workplan Action 9. See also SFSAG northern demersals Client Action Plan Action 6.)